The present invention relates to aperture sealing means and, more particularly, to such sealing means for sealing opposing apertures in a structure of the type having spaced apart walls.
Structures of the type having spaced apart walls often include opposing apertures which require removable sealing means. For example, in the aircraft engine industry, many engines include double walled structures, such as compressors and combustors, wherein the outer and inner walls are respectively provided with opposing apertures. One purpose of such opposing apertures is to allow inspection and monitoring of the engine. This may be accomplished by inserting inspection equipment, such as borescopes and/or probes, through such apertures. An example of one such inspection apparatus can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,160 entitled, "Gas Turbine Engine Inspection Apparatus," issued to Bourgeois on Jan. 9, 1968, which patent is hereby incorporated by reference. For some inspection applications, after the act of inspection, the inspection equipment is no longer needed on the engine. Accordingly, after such inspection, the inspection equipment may be removed, requiring the inner and outer wall apertures to be sealed. Conventional sealing means for such applications present certain problems. For example, the outer and inner walls typically present little space for maneuvering and applying the necessary torque to the sealing means. This problem is especially significant with respect to the inner wall.
Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide improved sealing means for double wall structures.
Another object of the present invention, is to provide such sealing means wherein all the necessary rotational torque can be conveniently applied.